Improvement in curtain-fixtures



2 Sheets--Sheet 1.

Patented Sept. 29, 187.4.

I JVIR WITJVESSEL .Attorneg/s.

. THE GRAPHIB B0, PHDf-LITH.39&4I PARK PLACE,H;Y,

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE EZRA B. LAKE, OF IOMS RIVER, NEWT JERSEY.

IMPROVEMENT lN CURTAIN-FIXTURES.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 155,522, dated September 29, 1874; application tiled February 5, 1874.

4To all whom 'it may concern:

yBe it known that I, EZRA B. LAKE, ofloms River, in the county of Ocean and State of New Jersey, have invented certain new and useful Improvements fin Curtain Fixtures; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description ofthe invention, such as will enablel others skilled in the art to which it pertains to make and use it, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, which form part of this specification, in which- Figure lis a front view of my invention applied to a window-curtain. Fig. 2 is an end view of spring-drum. Fig. 3 is a side view of bracket. Fig. 4 is a vertical central section through spring-drum. Fig. 5 is an edge view of bracket. Fig. is a side view of fixture complete. Fig. 7 is a perspective view of one of the curtain-brackets.

This invention has relation to curtain-lixtures; and consists in the construction and combination of parts as hereinafter specifically described and claimed, having reference particularly to, first, the employment, in connection with a coiled spring and a drum applied to the end of the roller, of a peculiar system of gearing, whereby the curtain-roller `is made to turn several times for every coil or revolution of the spring; secondly, the novel construction of brackets for supporting the ends of the curtain-roller, said brackets being formed with holes for` the adjustment of the curtain-cord 5 thirdly, the provision of means i for preventing the accidental displacement of the roller from the brackets, consisting of an ear or guard formed on the upper` edge of one bracket, and bent obliquely or at an angle over a collar on the end of the roller-shaft.

Referring to the accompanying drawing, A is a window, of which B is the jamb. O G O C are four rollers, fastened, as shown, to said jamb. Over these rollers passes a cord, D, the ends of which are attached at d d to a bracket, E, d being hooks or catches which enter adjusting-holes c e in said bracket. F is an equalizing-cord passing over the upper two rollers C C, and fastened to cord D at f f. The object of this cord is to keep the roller Gr always in a horizontal position, which it effectually accomplishes, preventing either end of the roller from getting higher or lower than the other. H H are hanging cords, (if desired, merely the extremities of the equalizing-cord F,) by means of which the curtainroller is adjusted vertically, the former serving to elevate said rollerand the latter to lower it when drawn. v i

I will now proceed to describe the mechanism for winding or rolling the curtain: iixedshaft, the rounded end of which, i, fits in a recess in the adjacent end of the curtainroller G, the other or squared end i entering a slot in the bracket E. K is a casing or shell rigidly affixed to the curtain-roller, and turningwith it upon the shaft I. L is a drum, turning also upon the shaftr I, and carrying a crown-wheel, M, which meshes with a spurwheel, N, upon a rigid arm, N that rises from the fixed shaft I. `The spur-wheelNactuates a pinion, O, rigidly affixed to the end or head of the case or shell K, giving motion thereto, and to the curtain-roller G. P is another rigid arm rising from the fixed shaft I, (or a single arbor may be substituted for the arms F and P,) and having secured Yto it one end of the coiled spring R, the other end of said spring being iirmly fastened to the drum L.

In nncoiling, the spring E causes the drum L to revolve, and with it the wheels M, N, and O, and casing K, serving to wind up the roller. As the wheel M makes but one revolution while the wheels N and O and casing K make four, it is obvious that there will be four revolutions of the curtain-roller for every coil of the spring, which latter may thus be comparatively very short-a great desideratum in this case.

S is a pawl, which engages with a cam, s, on the shaft I, on winding up the curtain; but if the latter be suddenly released the centrifugal momentum of the pawl will cause it to clear said cam and permit the curtain to roll up without interruption. One of the brackets E has an ear, e', formed by` cutting the metal at its upper edge at the side of the recess which receives the end of the shaft I.

This ear is bent out obliquely, as shown in Fig. 7 so as to overlap the collar s', which is attached to the drum, and through which the Iisa` square end of the shaft passes. The neck or connection between said collar and the ratchet, rests in the recess cut in the bracket.

The object of the oblique ear is to prevent the roller from being removed accidentally from the brackets,it being required to elevate the roller higher at one end than the other to release the collar s1, and allow it to be elevated from the bracket at the angle of the ear.

What I claim as my invention is- 1. The bracket E, having the oblique ear e for holding the shaft I in place when occupying a horizontal position, substantially as speciiied.

2. In combination with a curtain-roller, G, the fixed shaft I, casing K, drum L, Wheels M, N, and O, and coiled spring It, substantially as shown and described.

3. The combination of the coiled spring R, driving-wheel M, xed Wheel N, and pinion O, rigidly secured to the casing K, substantially as shown and described.

4. In combination with the bracket E, having adjusting-holes e e, the cord D, provided with hooks or catches d'.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing, I have hereunto set my hand this 28th day of January, 1874.

EZRA B. LAKE.

Witnesses:

J No. A. BELL, M. DANL. CoNNoLLY. 

